Israel-Gaza updates: 22, including 18 children, reported dead in Rafah strikes
The IDF says it struck military targets of terrorist organizations in Gaza.
Israel launched a retaliatory strike against Iran early Friday morning local time, a senior U.S. official told ABC News.
The strike followed Iran's attack on Saturday, when Tehran sent a volley of more than 300 drones and missiles toward targets in Israel, according to Israeli military officials. All but a few were intercepted by Israel and its allies, including the United States, officials said.
Iran's weekend attack came more than six months after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, after which the Israeli military began its bombardment of Gaza.
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What to know about Iran's attack on Israel
Israeli officials said the country's Iron Dome defense system endured a big test from Iran's attack on Saturday, intercepting 99% of the 300 "threats of various types" thrown at it.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari, launched 170 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more than 120 ballistic missiles and more than 30 cruise missiles in the attack.
Hagari said "99% of the threats launched towards Israeli territory were intercepted -- a very significant strategic achievement."
Hagari said the attack resulted in only one known Israeli casualty, a 7-year-old girl who was severely injured when she was struck by shrapnel apparently from an intercepted missile.
New record number of aid trucks enter Gaza, IDF says
The Israel Defense Forces said 468 aid trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday -- the highest number to enter Gaza in one day since the war began.
More than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza over the last three days, according to the IDF and Israeli aid agency COGAT.
Blinken gets emotional about Americans directly impacted by Israel-Hamas war
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke emotionally Tuesday about the Americans directly impacted by the Israel-Hamas war, touching on both the hostages still held captive and the aid workers killed in Gaza.
At a news conference with his United Kingdom counterpart, David Cameron, Blinken was asked about Rachel Goldberg, whose 23-year-old son, American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, was captured by Hamas. Goldberg is asserting that negotiators have failed.
"I know Rachel well. If I were sitting in her shoes, I'd undoubtably be feeling and saying the same thing," Blinken said. "Because until the day that Hersch is home, we will not have succeeded in doing what we're determined to do -- which is to bring him and bring all the hostages back."
Blinken also said he spoke with the family of Jacob Flickinger, a 33-year-old dual U.S.-Canadian citizen who was one of the seven World Central Kitchen aid workers killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza last week.
"I spoke over the weekend to Jacob's father and to his partner. I heard directly from them," he said. "Separately, Jacob leaves an 18-month-old son. Leaving everything else aside, just on a purely human level, my heart goes out to that family and to that little boy who now has no father."
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Blinken says Israel hasn't communicated date for Rafah operation, but he doesn't 'see anything imminent'
Asked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that Israel had set a date for its offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters Tuesday that the U.S. was in the dark. But Blinken added that he doesn't think the operation is imminent.
"No, we do not have a date for any Rafah operation -- at least one that's been communicated to us by the Israelis," Blinken said at a news conference with his United Kingdom counterpart, David Cameron. "On the contrary, what we have is an ongoing conversation with Israel about any Rafah operation. The president has been very clear about our concerns -- our deep concerns about Israel's ability to move civilians out of harm’s way."
Blinken said he expected talks between Israeli and American officials on the matter would press on into next week and that he didn’t want to "prejudge" an outcome.
"I don't anticipate any actions being taken before those talks," he said. "I don't see anything imminent."
As other Biden administration officials have done, Blinken stressed that the administration’s evaluation of Israel’s efforts to meet dire humanitarian needs in Gaza would be ongoing, and that officials would be "looking at a number of critical things that need to happen in the coming days."
Blinken said that list of items includes: opening a new portal for aid in northern Gaza; using Israel’s Port of Ashdod to bring in supplies on a regular basis; maximizing the flow of assistance from Jordan; repairing water lines throughout Gaza; and "putting in place a much more effective deconfliction mechanism with the humanitarian groups that are providing assistance."
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
McConnell criticizes Biden, claims he's caving to political pressure on Israel
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is claiming President Joe Biden is caving to political pressure on Israel.
McConnell criticized Biden for expressing outrage at the deaths of the seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, who were killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza last week, after his administration had called it a tragic accident.
"[That] begs the question whether he's also outraged at the way Israel's cherished aggressors violate international law by turning hospitals and schools [in Gaza] into fighting positions," McConnell said Tuesday. "Instead of welcoming Israel's swift investigation and efforts to hold personnel accountable for their mistakes -- accountability that has been sorely lacking during President Biden's own administration -- the president caved further to domestic political pressure. He indulged his radical base."
-ABC News’ John Parkinson